Kerala Ministers meet Governor on special Assembly session against farm laws

Two Kerala Ministers on Friday met Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, a day after the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government decided afresh to convene a special assembly session to discuss and pass a resolution against the three contentious central agricultural laws, and described their interaction as 'positive'.

The meeting came even as the government and Left parties continued their attack on the Governor over his earlier decision refusing permission for a special session on December 23, calling it 'unconstitutional' and threatening to demand his recall.

Law Minister AK Balan and Agriculture Minister VS Sunil Kumar held discussions with Arif Khan for around 35 minutes and later expressed hope that the Governor would take "an appropriate decision" on convening the assembly on December 31.

Minister Sunil Kumar said that there were certain matters suggested by the Governor which needed to be discussed with the Chief Minister. He, however, did not elaborate.

Governor Arif Khan had on Tuesday turned down the proposal of the LDF government for a brief assembly session on December 23 to discuss and pass resolution against the farm laws, being opposed by farmers, especially from Punjab and Haryana, who are staging protests on the borders of Delhi.

He had declined nod on the ground that the government did not address the question raised by him on the nature of emergency warranting the very brief session and pointing to the regular session slated to commence from January 8.

The state Cabinet which met on Thursday again decided to recommend to the Governor seeking approval for a special assembly session on December 31 over the farm laws with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying his government was 'hopeful' that the Governor would accord sanction.

Read: Session to discuss a problem for which you have no jurisdiction: Kerala Governor to CM

Meanwhile, Law Minister Balan in an article published in various Malayalam dailies on Friday said it was not desirable for the Raj Bhavan to become a centre of controversies.

"The Governor's action, denying permission to convene a special assembly session decided by the state cabinet, is unconstitutional. This should not be seen as a personal issue between the Governor and the government. The government is not interested in any controversy," he wrote.

Minister Balan said that Arif Khan’s decision marked the beginning of a "wrong practice" that no other Governor has ever tried to do, adding, "This is unfortunate".

He said that convening and the adjournment of the assembly were at the discretion of the government and does not fall under the Governor's discretionary powers.

"In short, it is unconstitutional to infringe on the rights of the legislature, the speaker and the government under the guise of discretionary powers for personal gains," Minister Balan said in the article.

The Communist Part of India (CPI), a major ally in the ruling LDF, in an editorial published in its mouthpiece Janayugam, lashed out at Arif Khan, alleging "he became the Governor after joining Sangh Parivar which despises democracy".

Explaining the circumstances that forced the cabinet to come up with a fresh recommendation for the special session, CM Pinarayi had on Thursday said that at the national level, the agricultural sector and the farming community were facing serious issues and that the southern state was largely dependent on other states for food grains.

"Therefore the problems faced by farmers in other parts of the country are of great concern to our state. As it is a matter of common interest to the state and the country, it will be appropriate to discuss this in the state Legislative assembly," he had said.

The opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) too had criticised the Governor’s decision declining nod for the special session of the Assembly.

However, the state BJP had welcomed the Governor's action, saying the attempt to pass a resolution against the laws passed by Parliament and given assent by the President was 'unconstitutional.'